Defining your Microsoft Dynamics Project Scope

Defining scope depends on what you intend to accomplish with the project. Clearly identifying scope will help set the expectation to management and project team members what to expect and what NOT to expect.

Below are some general questions to be answered:

Is this a new implementation?

Is your company already using an application (referred to as the legacy system?

Are there integrations to other applications that need to be considered?

Do you have Dynamics AX implemented and will be doing a version upgrade?

Are you implementing a new piece of functionality in Dynamics 365/AX?

Are any business processes changing?

To define scope, it is important to first start with what the objectives are for the project. If you can do this, it will become pretty evident what your project should entail. Scope is really the detailing out how you plan to meet the objectives. Here are some simple examples:

Implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Dynamics AX and map business processes to use standard functionality.

History will not be converted into new implementation.

All existing integrations to other systems will be retained unless otherwise stated.

If you are doing a new implementation and converting from a legacy system, you need to consider what data currently resides in the legacy system:

What data needs to be kept from the legacy system?

Can you leave history in the old system or put in a data warehouse for inquiry?

How do you plan to perform the data conversion? Some data can be hand loaded, but other data needs a programmatic approach.

If you are upgrading, here are some things to consider:

Is there new functionality that you want to take advantage of?

Is there a data conversion involved?

Are there customization that need changes or can be eliminated due to standard functionality in the upgraded version?

Do any business processes change due to functionality changes?

Scope is all about knowing the objectives and answering a bunch of upfront questions to understand how you plan to accomplish those objectives. As you start to document the project scope, you may find you need to refine your objectives so that the scope can be properly stated. Once objectives and scope can be agreed upon, you can move into the space of planning and executing your Dynamics 365 or Dynamics AX project!

A word of caution: ERP projects can get quite large in scope. You may need to consider breaking it out into phases, each with their own objective and scope.

Welcome to the User Group for Dynamics 365 & AX [D365UG|AXUG], we’re so glad you’re here! While we realize you may be here to troubleshoot a technical issue or simply learn new tips and tricks, we’d love the chance to share with you the incredible benefits the User Group has to offer [and don’t forget, if you’re interested in an incredible in-person learning opportunity don’t forget tojoin us in Nashville for our Summit event]!